Inoculation

As inoculation ( colloquially seeding ) adding a replicable object is known (eg, a cell culture or pathogens such as viruses or prions ) to a cell culture in microbiology and cell biology.

Properties

The goal of inoculation is usually a maximum rate of cell division. A larger volume of a culture medium or culture medium inoculated - In an inoculation - usually starting from a starter culture. The number of particles in an inoculum is essential for the successful culture of large batches. Many bacteria need for bacterial growth, a certain cell density to (also logarithmic growth phase or log phase ) in the exponential growth phase to enter. If the inoculum is too small, the culture does not or only very slowly grow. To cultivate cells in large volumes, use of biotechnology in a series of ever larger precultures until finally the actual fermenter is inoculated. The cells are then from beginning to end in a continuous exponential growth phase.

The inoculum of microbial culture can come from all three phylogenetic domains of living organisms: archaebacteria ( Archaea), bacteria ( Bacteria) and eukaryotes ( Eukarya ) originate. If the inoculum is taken from the realm of multicellular eukaryotes (fungi, plants and animals), the microbial culture is called tissue or cell culture ( an inoculum of protists and one to wenigzelligen animals, fungi and plants is often still called microbial culture ). You can be a wild or a cultivated type. The material is transferred to a medium is, the inoculum ( inoculum also ). From him and the quality of the culture medium, the success of inoculation depends.

Parameter

A good inoculum is fresh, fairly large ( volume of inoculum / volume of culture ) and has good cell density (number of cells / volume).

A good culture is fresh, consists of a medium that meets all the conditions for the growth or multiplication of the microbial strain used, has an optimal environment for the growth or multiplication of the culture used and is sufficient for the needs of the growing medium and the inoculum disinfected.

The inoculum is sufficient fresh if it has been (eg temperature, food supply, etc. ) stored under poor conditions for too long. Exception are studies of resting stages. If the inoculum is too small, the culture grows very slowly. Therefore, the size ratio of the inoculum of the culture is very important. In addition to the volume (size), the cell density of the inoculum for a successful culture is very important. Some large inocula that contain only a few cells, are for various microbial strains, which require a certain cell density ( cells per volume) to enter the exponential growth phase, a sufficient starting medium. In these cases, pre-cultures are used. They can be connected as in biotechnology, in ever-increasing series, so that the sufficient size and density of the starting medium is granted. But you can always be repositioned with in certain inokulatsbedingten time intervals so that the sufficient freshness of the inoculum can be maintained over longer periods of time.

A culture is fresh when the nutrients in the medium is not consumed and yet are sufficiently available. Depending on the microbial strain used, the nutrient medium is chosen. Some tribes require special micro-components such as various ions, minerals, vitamins, some turn narrow pH ranges. Thus, a culture can thrive, is for them an environment to create, in which all the necessary physical (temperature, humidity, air pressure, etc. ), chemical ( composition of medium, pH, etc.) and biological ( nutrient supply, their access, possible symbionts, etc.) parameters at an optimum level for the strain used or the cell culture can be kept. Sterility is also a prerequisite for the success of a culture. It is checked on the control and sterilization can be held in different degrees of severity depending on the growth medium and inoculum. In general, however, applies more sterile culture are the framework conditions, the higher are the chances of a successful culture. The attitude of a high sterility levels, however, is associated with high costs.

Other meanings

Active immunization were formerly known as inoculation. eg variolation.

In social psychology, a method is described with the Inokulationstheorie be made with the psychological settings resistant to modification attempts. A Inokulationsstrategie is in marketing for the concept, to immunize the target group through active communication (in terms of vaccination) against cons.